Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of executing user authentication when an application is selected.
Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatuses is able to operate a plurality of applications such as a copy application, a transmission application, and a web-browser application. Such image forming apparatus is provided with a mechanism that, when an application is selectively used, executes user authentication in order to identify a user of the application and which of applications.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-37161 discusses a technique that displays a screen for causing a user to select an application, and that, when an application requiring user authentication is selected on the displayed screen, executes the user authentication. According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-37161, use of a designated application can be restricted to a particular user.
A recent image forming apparatus of some type is able to operate not only factory-default applications but also applications later additionally installed by using an installer or the like.
A manager of an image forming apparatus occasionally desires to limit a user to be authorized to only a particular user regarding use of an application additionally installed later as described above. However, it is impossible for the image forming apparatus of the related art to set whether to execute user authentication for additionally installed applications in a method similar to that for default applications.